A well kept wooden boat on its way somewhere. Perhaps the first voyage after launch for the summer season.
It is good to see the sea, ha de Gött!
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Boat life
Archive for ‘Travel’
Lizard
After some research I’ve concluded that this is a Viviparous lizard (Zootoca vivipara) also known as common lizard, in Swedish Skogsödla. There are only three species of lizards in Sweden and one of them has no legs. The common lizard can be up to 18 centimeters long. It lives in woodland with wet micro climate.
Do let me know if I got the species wrong, ha de Gött!
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Upperud locks
In Upperud there are two locks with a difference in altitude of five meters. This is part of Dalslands Kanal, (see previous post here). The first iron work of Dalsland was founded here in 1647 and in 1840 it was the largest in the area. In the old nearby mansion Napoleons niece, princess Christine Egypta Bonaparte lived together with her husband Arvid Posse.
Don’t let water get in your way, make a waterway. Ha de Gött!
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Caught Between
On the fortress walls of Fredriksten Festning. Two cannons, tools of war. Protection or assault at the whim of a self-, or Grace of God appointed ruler. Human history, hard wired to self destruct. Enemy and brother.
Two cannons to frame this lanscape photo of Halden and Idefjorden. Squeezed between cannons, the prosperous city with peaceful trade. Open ports and safe passage between borders. Railroad tracks to travel near and far.
Two hundred years of peace between the nations, even if there was a bit tension when the union was dissolved in 1905. Let’s hope that these cannons only serve to frame pictures for two hundred more years. Serving as a beacon of peace all around the world.
War machines belong in museum, ha de Gött!
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Åstol
The small island of Åstol. This little island had at it’s peak 500 inhabitants. In 1965 it was not possible to build any more houses as there was no more land. Today there is less than 200 year round inhabitants and most houses are only occupied during summer.
Keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer, ha de Gött!
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Shades of green
Berby Herregård outside Halden in Norway behind all the green.
Keep the borders open. Ha de Gött!
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33 000 Rivets
The 32,5 meter long aqueduct in Håverud is hold together by 33 000 rivets. Manufactured by Bergsunds Mekaniska in Stockholm. Not a single rivet has been replaced since the inauguration in 1868. It is part of Dalslands kanal, Canal of Dalsland that with a serie of locks connects the lakes from the larges lake in Sweden Vänern to Östervallskog in Värmland just one kilometer from the Norwegian border. By digging and blasting through the rock for 12 kilometers and waterway of 240 kilometers was created. With the canal in Trollhättan and the river Göta Älv goods could be transported to the port of Göteborg.
The work was a father and son project led by the brilliant engineers Nils Ericsson and his son Werner Ericsson. With 31 locks in 17 stations they created this blue highway through the deep forests of west Sweden. The jewel in the crown is the passage with the aqueduct and locks that cross the fierce waterfall in Håverud.
Something to reflect upon when looking at today’s climate challenges. Ha de Gött!
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Shimmering sea
The Sea Was Never So Shimmering, (så skimrande var aldrig havet) as iin the song by Evert Taube. Evert Taube (1890 – 1976) was, or still is, one of Sweden’s most respected poets and singer song writer. A national poet deeply embedded in the Swedish national identity. If you play a song by him all Swedes will be able to sing along. I attach a link to Youtube where Marie Fredriksson from Roxette sings the song ‘så skimrande var aldrig havet’, enjoy.
By the seaside everything comes together, ha de Gött!
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Milestone
According to WordPress this is my post number 500. To write about milestones makes perfect sense.
Milestone originates back to the Roman Empire where they used them to mark the distance to Rome. Between each pole shaped stone, miliaria, the distance was one thousand dubbel steps, mille passus, approx 1483 meters.
In Sweden they were introduced by law in 1649 and was used until 1890. Back then local farmers was obliged to act as driver or supply horses for the nobles and officials travels across the kingdom. The milestones was introduced to create a way calculate a fair fee.
They used the Swedish mil that was 18000 alnar, cubit, that equals to 10688 meters. Today a Swedish mile is 10000 meters. If you ever get lost driving in Sweden and you get help with directions be sure to ask if they use Swedish miles.
Drive safe, ha de Gött!
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Communication
Cars and trains, blue skies and wind power. There is a beautiful ugliness in this motorway bridge over the gorge. Travel has always been important for us humans. The will to explore. To boldly go where no-one gone before, or at least possible to go from Göteborg in Sweden to Oslo in Norway in three hours.
When you can, go by train, ha de Gött!
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UlleHaddock 